What could cause Macrocystosis and low RBC ?

Hi, and thanks again for responding and taking the time to answer the questions on this forum. I have been concerned for a few weeks now about tingling/numbness in both my legs which has moved to my face and hands, I have extreme fatigue and muscle weakness, memory loss etc. I went to the dr. that ordered blood work because she thought it could be a B12 deficiency but before the appointment i happened to buy B12 suppliments so when the blood tests came back I had high (1465H) Vitamin B12...which indicated that my body IS absorbing it. However my MCV was 101.7H and MCH 34.8H and RBC count was 3.88L which the dr. basically told me i have enlarged red blood cells. I was wondering what would cause this? I have been very healthy and have taken Centrum multivitamins daily for at least 7 years now as well as eating right. I am very concerned that it could be some other thing causing the deficiency since my body is absorbing the vitamin. I have been so scared that its MS especially since my dr. reffered me to a neurologist now...but i was hoping that you could tell me what other possiblities it could be and if MS sounds like one to you? I also have been taking the B12 sublingual/Bcomplex/fish oil suppliments daily for the past two weeks so should i feel better by now or would some of the symptoms have gone away if it were just a deficiency?
Im so sorry for being long winded I am just so scared of it being an autotimmune problem particularly MS since it does run in my family...Thanks again for your time

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

In order to make the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, a detailed history and neurologic examination is required. MRI of the brain is very helpful and needed as it helps determine the presence of white matter lesions in 2 or more locations. However, there are multiple conditions producing MRI changes that could be mistaken for MS, and the MRI should be reviewed properly and correlated to the symptoms. If someone has several lesions on the brain MRI, but they have not had distinct episodes of neurologic symptoms, or they do not have specific findings on neurologic examination, then a diagnosis of MS can not be made.

The symptoms you report may or may not be related to MS, as sensory symptoms can happen for many other reasons (e.g., anxiety, B12 deficiency, etc).

It is difficult for me to determine if you have MS without more information. I agree you should be evaluated by a neurologist for this.

With regards to the macrocytosis (enlarged cells), you should discuss with your primary care physician. There are multiple conditions that can cause this including alcoholism, liver dysfunction, hypothyroidism, etc.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.

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